Featured Research

from universities, journals, and other organizations

Population of neutrophils in body found by researchers

Date:

March 24, 2014

Source:

Case Western Reserve University

Summary:

A novel population of neutrophils, which are the body's infection control workhorses, has been discovered by scientists. These cells have an enhanced microbial killing ability and are thereby better able to control infection. However, they may behave as a double-edged sword as they also have the potential to cause inflammation that results in tissue damage, and further studies are underway to regulate these activities.

Share This

Case Western Reserve University researchers have discovered a novel population of neutrophils, which are the body's infection control workhorses. These cells have an enhanced microbial killing ability and are thereby better able to control infection.

Related Articles

Neutrophils, the body's most abundant type of white blood cells, have long been regarded as first responders that kill fungi, bacteria, and other pathogens. In a study published in the February issue of Nature Immunology, Case Western Reserve researchers explain that they have found the mechanism of action of a newly discovered population of neutrophils. A sub-population of neutrophils produce a cytokine called Interleukin 17 (IL-17) to regulate the body's response to the infection; however the same cells were discovered to have enhanced microbial killing activity.

These cells may behave as a double-edged sword as although they have an enhanced ability to control infection, they also have the potential to cause inflammation that results in tissue damage, and further studies are underway to regulate these activities.

The researchers, from the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, showed that neutrophils are the first cells discovered to both produce and respond to IL-17, a messenger protein that stimulates an inflammatory response at the site of infection, and can recruit additional neutrophils to the site of infection. They also found in cornea infections that neutrophils have an important role in killing fungi, but can also break down the corneal structure and result in tissue damage and visual impairment.

"In healthy individuals, this IL-17 feedback action gives these neutrophils an enhanced ability to respond to bacterial and fungal infections," said senior author Eric Pearlman, PhD, professor and director of research for the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. "Yet in people with certain immune abnormalities or genetic mutations, this process can produce high levels of chronic inflammation. When an inflammatory response does occur, it can lead to the kind of tissue damage associated with autoimmune diseases like psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and lupus."

"Although T cells are a major source of IL-17, the neutrophils arrive at the site of infection first," said first author Patricia Taylor, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in Pearlman's laboratory. Therefore fungal killing and tissue damage take place even before the T cells arrive.

Pearlman and colleagues conducted their initial research on individuals with fungal keratitis, an inflammatory eye infection, at the Aravind Eye Hospital in Madurai, in south India. The hot, humid climate combined with agriculture results in high levels of airborne spores and a high prevalence of corneal ulcers caused by these fungi.

"We found an abundance of IL-17 being made in the infected corneas, and identified neutrophils as a source of the IL-17 in the cornea," Pearlman said.

"This is just the tip of the iceberg," he added. "There are so many potential diseases these IL-17 producing neutrophils could play a role in. We're already finding other unexpected gene expressions. In the short term, we will work to further characterize these cells, see what other areas are being regulated that impact microbial killing and inflammatory response."

Case Western Reserve University. "Population of neutrophils in body found by researchers." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 24 March 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140324111910.htm>.

Case Western Reserve University. (2014, March 24). Population of neutrophils in body found by researchers. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 3, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140324111910.htm

Case Western Reserve University. "Population of neutrophils in body found by researchers." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140324111910.htm (accessed March 3, 2015).

More From ScienceDaily

More Health & Medicine News

Featured Research

Mar. 3, 2015 — New assays can detect malaria parasites in human blood at very low levels and might be helpful in the campaign to eradicate malaria, reports a new study. An international team led by Ingrid Felger, ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Adults over the age of 30 only catch flu about twice a decade, a new study suggests. So, while it may feel like more, flu-like illness can be caused by many pathogens, making it difficult to assess ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — No significant change in home habits of smokers have been observed in the aftermath of a ban on smoking in public spaces, researchers report. Greater inspiration to kick the habit likely comes from ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Heart function has been associated with the development of dementia and Alzheimer's disease through a new study. Participants with decreased heart function, measured by cardiac index, were two to ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Children of recently separated or divorced families are likelier to drink sugar-sweetened beverages than children in families where the parents are married, putting them at higher risk for obesity ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Gastric bypass and similar stomach-shrinking surgeries are a popular option for obese patients looking to lose weight or treat type 2 diabetes. While the surgeries have been linked to a decreased ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Most people consume more salt than they need and therefore have a higher risk of heart disease and stroke, which are the two leading causes of death worldwide. But a new study reveals that dietary ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Twice as many children born to mothers who took antibiotics during pregnancy were diagnosed with asthma by age 3 than children born to mothers who didn’t take prenatal antibiotics, a new study has ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Although sedatives are often administered before surgery, a randomized trial finds that among patients undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia, receiving the sedative lorazepam before ... full story

Featured Videos

Mom Triumphs Over Tragedy, Helps Other Families

AP (Mar. 3, 2015) — After her son, Dax, died from a rare form of leukemia, Julie Locke decided to give back to the doctors at St. Jude Children&apos;s Research Hospital who tried to save his life. She raised $1.6M to help other patients and their families. (March 3)
Video provided by AP

Looted and Leaking, South Sudan's Oil Wells Pose Health Risk

AFP (Mar. 3, 2015) — Thick black puddles and a looted, leaking ruin are all that remain of the Thar Jath oil treatment facility, once a crucial part of South Sudan&apos;s mainstay industry. Duration: 01:13
Video provided by AFP

Woman Convicted of Poisoning Son

AP (Mar. 3, 2015) — A woman who blogged for years about her son&apos;s constant health woes was convicted Monday of poisoning him to death by force-feeding heavy concentrations of sodium through his stomach tube. (March 3)
Video provided by AP

Related Stories

Dec. 8, 2014 — Macrophages are best known for their Pac Man–like ability to gobble up cellular debris and pathogens in order to thwart infection. A new study describes how these immune cells also help resolve ... full story

Mar. 13, 2014 — Although long recognized as an essential defense against the lung-invading fungus Asperfillus fumigatus, Neutrophils actually require a little help from fellow immune cells, according to a study. The ... full story

Sep. 19, 2011 — By using a mouse model of inflammation researchers have discovered a new class of molecules that can inhibit the recruitment of some white blood cells to sites of inflammation in the ... full story

June 26, 2011 — A study sheds new light on why people who experience serious trauma or go through major surgery, can suffer organ damage in parts of the body which are seemingly unconnected to the ... full story

ScienceDaily features breaking news and videos about the latest discoveries in health, technology, the environment, and more -- from major news services and leading universities, scientific journals, and research organizations.